India is studying the deradicalisation programme of the former Malaysian government, including their literature, as controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, facing terror charges in India, has taken shelter in Malaysia for the last four years, said a top government source.

The government is studying the deradicalisation programme of the former Malaysian government to see whether it could be used in the Indian context, the source said.

Naik faces charges of hate speech in India, as well as money laundering. In November 2016, India's counter-terrorism agency filed a case against Naik accusing him of promoting religious hatred and unlawful activity.

During the Mahathir bin Mohammad government in Malaysia, the country came up with a strong deradicalisation policy.

Malaysia's deradicalisation initiative is the religious rehabilitation programme, which is based on re-education and rehabilitation. The re-education would be focused on correcting militants' political and religious misconceptions and rehabilitation on thorough monitoring of militant detainees after their release.

The government has also formed a team of officers to study strategies adopted by various states in countering radicalisation.

The government has issued directions to security establishments across the country so that a road map applicable to all the states should be developed for identifying/pursuing radicalised persons and their deradicalisation.

The government has also stated that district and grassroot-level officers from various departments and organisations be sensitised about radicalisation as they come across affected persons in their regular functioning.

"Database of deradicalised individuals be prepared and using the services of expert psychologist, five-six causative factors for deradicalisation to be identified and analysed," the directive stated.

It further pointed out that based on extensive interactions with deradicalised persons, the teams should prepare a roadmap for workable strategies.

The government especially stated that a number of terror links in the past had linkages direct or otherwise with Hyderabad. The teams should study the reasons behind this and address the problem.

About the influence of Islamic State in India, Minister of State (Home Affairs) G. Kishan Reddy on September 16 said that some instances of individuals from different states, including southern states having joined Islamic State (IS) have come to the notice of security agencies.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered 17 cases related to the presence of IS in Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and arrested 122 accused persons.

"Islamic State/Islamic State of Iraq and Levant/Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/Daish/Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)/ISIS Wilayat Khorasan/Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and all its manifestations have been notified as terrorist organisations and included in the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by the Central Government," the minister said.

He also stated that IS is using various internet-based social media platforms to propagate its ideology. Cyber space is being closely watched in this regard by the agencies concerned and action is taken as per law.

Investigations by the NIA have revealed that the IS is most active in Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

(IANS)